Work Text:
Nothing in the novel mentioned that the male lead had a soulmate. It was something that Kim Rok Soo felt weird because the novel was very informative about the existence of soulmates, so he had the thought that because Choi Han was born in Korea, he didn’t have one.
This minor villain Cale Henituse, the body he’s currently in, was the also the other person in the novel mentioned to have no soulmate. He figured that it was supposed to show that the male lead was not special in that regard.
Rok Soo just felt that the author was being unfair with his characters, for detailing how the two who did not have destined people had a terrible encounter. He pitied the drunk noble for getting beaten up by the main character, but also, his words truly angered someone like Choi Han who lost his home.
He truly feared for than encounter, especially now that he had become Cale Henituse.
Yet…
Red eyes glanced in confusion at the marking in his body. What was supposed to be a markless body had two weird markings on his chest. A blackened smudge-like mark and written words near his heart were being reflected in the body mirror in his room.
“A soulmate mark…,” he almost flinched at the sudden voice of his butler assassin and he turned to see the man having none of his benign smile.
Ron looked as surprised as him, and Cale turned back to the mirror. He traced the well-written words of ‘I’m hungry’ and this would be his soulmate’s first words for him. He couldn’t help but briefly see a record of him saying the same words before, and he slightly felt something weird in his stomach.
Cale, no, Kim Rok Soo, couldn’t help but wonder aloud, “Is this mine?”
Soulmates were partners for life, and they dealt with souls more than anything else. He might be in Cale Henituse’s body, but his soul was all his. When the soul was different in the body, of course, there would be different consequences.
The noble didn’t know what to do or feel. It’s uncomfortable. Back in Earth, there were no concept of soulmates and even if they were, with the wave of monsters attacking, they wouldn’t be as important as surviving.
“Young Master—”
“Let’s ignore it,” whatever Ron was about to say about the mark was lost at the sudden firm words of the red-haired man. There was no hesitation in the man’s red eyes, just firm assertion of doing what he said. “Ron, please prepare me some clothes. I’m going somewhere.”
Cale had to think about his survival first. He had plans for his slacker life, and he was still preparing to meet with the main character. He couldn’t think of his supposed soulmate for now.
(It wasn’t like he was afraid to bond with someone again. He wasn’t overwhelmed or something. Truly, he wasn’t…it’s just that he never thought that he was destined to be with someone after all these times.)
“Do you have some place to go?” Cale asked casually, still focusing on the two street kittens even though he was pertaining to the man lying near the walls. When there was no answer, the red-haired noble continued to talk.
‘He must be observing me,’ thought the transmigrated man and he finally decided to turn to the man. He almost visibly flinched because the main character was staring at him intensely, but he instead asked, “Aren’t you going to answer?”
“I’m hungry.”
Cale widened his eyes at that answer, and he unconsciously placed his hand on his chest where his markings were. Focused dark eyes watched the movement without his knowledge, and the owner also placed a hand in his chest.
Shaking his head because there was no way that the main character would be his soulmate, the noble locked his red eyes with those penetrating eyes that never once looked away from him. He felt something tickling in his stomach.
“Hey, follow me. I’ll feed you.”
He turned to leave, when a hand grabbed his and he was dragged to look back to the young man.
Choi Han gripped onto his hand, their fingers overlapping and something warmth came rushing into the red-haired noble. Cale tried to get his hand back in surprise at the sudden feeling, but the other man held a tight grip on his hand.
Almost as if he had done nothing unusual, the supposed hero in the making said innocently, his eyes bright but none the less intense, “Yes, I’ll follow you.”
Cale knew that he should have asked. He knew that he was missing something. But instead of asking anything, he ignored the sensation he felt from the hands holding him and walked back to the Henituse resident.
He said nothing to the whispers and glances coming their way, looked like nothing was wrong when his butler and the swordsman stared off unpleasantly and did nothing to the way Choi Han never really let go of his hand.
There might be minor setbacks, but he had done everything in his plan. Beacrox, Ron and Choi Han had meet, and he had not been beaten by the main character. He just needed for the trio to leave and get their revenge.
(He wasn’t going to acknowledge how Choi Han easily followed him, how he looked like Cale was his hope, how right it felt to be together with the hero and how his soulmate markings felt so warm.
Cale, no, Kim Rok Soo didn't think he was ready to hear the reason why.)